Waikato District Health Board

The challenge

Serving a large geographical area of the North Island of New Zealand, the Waikato District Health Board (Waikato DHB) provides hospital and community-based health services to a population of nearly 400,000 people. With a wide range of security needs that include protecting staff and patients, securing high-risk facilities, restricting unauthorized access to medication and medical equipment, and streamlining contractor and car park management, Waikato DHB required a security solution that could be applied to both high and low security areas. The system also needed to provide a comprehensive audit trail and detailed reporting, to identify access movements by employees and help meet legal requirements around the safe and secure storage of medication and equipment.

The Gallagher solution

Gallagher’s access control solution for Waikato DHB utilizes a single access-card system that simply and instantly updates access permissions, as well as streamlining car parking services. Where high-level security is needed, Gallagher’s system offers Waikato DHB the ability to lock-down areas of the hospital when required, isolating areas and restricting access. Gallagher’s Command Centre Mobile application also delivers duress notifications from buttons located around the hospital directly to a guard's mobile device. Electronic Tag Boards allow contractors to easily sign on and off of the site, ensuring Waikato DHB meets health and safety requirements.

The business value

In an environment where access profiles change on a daily basis as staff move between different departments, Gallagher’s access control system and Command Centre central management platform ensure staff can approach doors with the confidence that they can enter or leave areas as necessary. The access card system has also reduced the risks associated with handling keys, along with providing detailed reports to meet comprehensive auditing requirements, saving time and cost. Waikato DHB's experience with Gallagher products ultimately led them to develop a 'Security Ward Standard' detailing the minimum security equipment required for new buildings, greatly reducing time spent producing specification documents and gathering approvals. As Waikato DHB's security requirements continue to evolve, Gallagher’s systems provide future-proofing with a software maintenance agreement ensuring they operate the very latest software available.